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'Fresh' Zebo Ready To Peak For Munster

Simon Zebo is feeling fresh and is raring to go as Munster face into a couple of season-defining weeks in the RaboDirect PRO12 and Heineken Cup.

It has been a stop-start 2013/14 campaign for Simon Zebo with a cracked bone in his left foot - sustained against Edinburgh in mid-October - keeping him out of action until January.

His lack of game-time hampered his hopes of featuring for Ireland in the Six Nations, although he showed he has lost none of his try-scoring touch with a run of five tries in four games for Munster.

Despite failing to break back into the Irish squad, the winger is maintaining a positive outlook as his lay-off earlier in the season means he is now hitting his stride for Munster at just the right time of the year.

"It's really exciting for me now on the back of scoring a couple of tries and playing well (for Munster) during the Six Nations period. I still wouldn't be really near my top level yet, I've still got a lot to improve," admitted the Corkman, who turned 24 just over a week ago.

"But the injury at the start of the season could be a little blessing in disguise because I'm feeling very fresh and I'm just about hitting the peak around the business end provincially."

Zebo cannot wait to play at the Aviva Stadium again on Saturday, facing off against Munster's biggest rivals, Leinster, as the provinces scrap for the RaboDirect PRO12's top spot.

The elusive runner suffered a foot injury during his last appearance at the home of Irish rugby, when Ireland lost to England in last year's Six Nations.

Determined to put those two injuries behind him, this weekend he is set to line up against some of the backs who shone for Ireland during their title-winning run - the likes of Dave Kearney and Fergus McFadden.

But getting 'one up' on his international rivals is not to the forefront of Zebo's mind. Instead, he is solely focused on what is best for the Munster team and their bid to complete a season's double over the men in blue.

"Obviously there's a bit more bite to these Leinster games and getting a run at one of the Kearney brothers, you'd obviously have an extra bit of bite about you.

"Having said that, we're still friends at the end of the day. Come this weekend, I'll be looking to take their heads off and the same for them with me, so it's going to be a great occasion," he added.

Zebo's measured words follow on from what his back-three colleague, Felix Jones, said in the aftermath of Munster's 14-3 victory over Benetton Treviso last weekend.

"Personally, I see this as Leinster versus Munster - I'm not playing in the Six Nations, we're playing in the Rabo this weekend," insisted the full-back.

"I'm sure there will be individual battles going on but hopefully we'll be doing it with a team ethos behind us and with the team in mind. The mindset is team on team."

There is no doubting that attacking players of the calibre of Zebo and Jones are potential match winners for Munster, and this fixture has traditionally been decided by a lone try or place-kick.

Against Leinster at Thomond Park last October, Ian Keatley took on the mantle of man-of-the-match as he kicked 14 points and set up Keith Earls for the game's only try in a 19-15 Munster win.

The previous season, a Brian O'Driscoll try got the home side over the finish line at the Aviva Stadium and Leinster complete the double down in Limerick, winning 22-16 with O'Driscoll again claiming the decisive score.

Zebo is more than capable of producing that match-winning moment himself come Saturday night - whether that is in a one-on-one situation, from an individual break or at the end of a team move.

But for a clash that he reckons is 'like a Heineken Cup final every time we play each other', it is team success rather than any piece of individual glory that the 2013 Lion is seeking.

"It's definitely all about the collective. No individuals win games, so it's going to be about going out there and putting in a good collective performance - interlinking the forwards and backs, and hopefully getting the points on the board early," he explained.

"Hopefully I'll be able to put in a big performance. If we do that and the 22 other players give a great impact then players will be able to flourish on the back of that.

"There will be no flair players able to win a game on their own, and it's going to be a massive test for us all."